Postcard: Photos from Cusco, Sacred Valley and The Colca Canyon

This is a long one!

Getting out of the big city and going to Cusco & Arequipa was a literal breath of fresh air.

After a fun two weeks of travelling around Cusco and Arequipa, I’m back at our favourite bakery in Lima writing this blog post. Summer feels like it’s coming back in full swing and we can finally see blue sky, which is a huge surprise since Lima is shrouded in grey for most of the year. 

The first time I went to Cusco and Machu Picchu was 20 years ago when I was just a chubby kid. I had gotten really sick from the altitude and remember hobbling along the cobblestone streets feeling like puking. Luckily, this time was really different. We lucked out with the weather, getting 5 days of sun during our time in Cusco. The city itself is wonderful and hiring a driver to drive around the sacred valley was definitely a highlight of the trip so far. 

After Cusco, we hopped down to the Colonial city of Arequipa where we spent another 5 days in the “White City.” Dubbed the White City, not only for its beautiful white walls, but because it used to be the city with the most europeans in Peru - yes, racism was/is a thing in Peru. Despite it’s past, Arequipa is a beautiful city.
All the eating and lack of exercise has definitely left me a little pudgy. So when I decided to do a 2 day, 22km trek with 1600m of gain in the Colca Canyon, I knew it wasn’t going to the easiest walk. 

Despite this, it was a beautiful trek around the second deepest Canyon on earth. We descended into the canyon and walked through rows of cacti, passed small farms and homes and ended at a an oasis in the desert. Although filled to the brim with tourists, the Oasis was a great evening to relax with drinks and a pool before setting off the next morning. 

In the next week or so, we’ll be headed off to Chile! Leave me a note if you have any must-see’s and recommendations!